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beet pulp

8K views 27 replies 9 participants last post by  bloodhoundmom28 
#1 ·
ok i have looked and looked how much beet pulp (un soaked) should i feed to add weight? My vet said one cup (that is a measuring cup) But i have since learned he is clueless to nutrition. I also have yet to find a good independent nutritional person.
 
#3 ·
Dried beet pulp weighs 0.6 pounds per dry US quart, so a 2-quart scoop holds about 1.2 pounds. Some guidelines to follow when adding beet pulp to supplement the regular feeding program (meaning that the horse is already receiving at least 0.5% of its body weight daily of a fortified horse feed) are: 1) feed no more than 2 pounds of dried beet pulp daily to a pony, 2) feed no more than 4 pounds of dried beet pulp daily to an immature horse from 1 to 3 years of age, and 3) feed no more than 6 pounds of dried beet pulp daily to a mature horse (body weight of 1,200 pounds). A feeding rate of 4 pounds daily in addition to the regular ration for a mature horse that was maintaining its present body weight would result in a gain of about ½ pound per day.
This is what I have used in adding it to our horse's diet

Keep in mind the weights are dry - it will, of course, get heavier as it absorbs water if you choose to soak it...so measure it, then soak it.
 
#8 ·
I, too, was extremely frustrated in trying to find the same answer when we started our horse on beet pulp. I ended up calling a former co-worker, a nutrition advisor, in Oregon (I worked for a large farmer's co-op/farmstore chain for for several years about 10 years ago) and he agreed with the info in the article.
 
#11 ·
One thing I have found is that beet pulp feeding is like pretty much EVERY other horse related question/matter/issue - every opinion is different on it. I think that is what was so frustrating for me and I, personally, felt comfortable with the source I finally went to and the answers he gave me.
 
#14 ·
I'm a big fan of beet pulp. It's cheap, my horse loves it, and it packs on the weight on hard keepers. Unlike alfalfa hay cubes which can make some horse's loopy, it does not make horse's hot since there's practically no sugar left in it once it has been soaked. That's assuming that you don't buy it with added molasses. For the correct amount, most people use it to supplement hay. Just weigh it to figure out what makes up a dry pound and add as many pounds as you need.
 
#16 ·
I have a parrot mouthed horse, so I have to soak to be on the safe side. The average well chewing horse does not need it to be soaked, but I think they like it better mushy. I use the pelleted beet pulp. The pellets usually come without added molasses. My horse actually didn't like it at first, but now will run over the other horses to get to it. I also mix in rice bran for added fat, but most horses will like the beet pulp all by itself.
 
#21 ·
I have heard that when you give a horse dry beet pulp they could get colic from it. it is supoosed to soak for 12 hours but they mat be wrong
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From the Editors of EQUUS

Beet pulp contains lots of fermentable fiber and is fairly easy for horses to digest. It is often incorporated into "complete" or "high fiber" commercial concentrates as a source of fiber and some horse owners feed it as a separate "mash" for a variety of reasons, one of the most common being the belief that it is high calorie and will help horses gain weight.
However, beet pulp is not high calorie--it has only slightly more calories than good quality hay and less than an equivalent weight of oats. Beet pulp does contain about 10 percent protein, 0.8 percent calcium and 0.5 percent phosphorus, making it a more "balanced" source of energy and fiber than the more traditional wheat bran (15 percent protein, 0.06 percent calcium, 1.3 percent phosphorus). The high fiber content may "normalize" fermentation in the large colons, resulting in more efficient "digestion" over all, which may be why many "hard keeper" horses that have a significant portion of their grain concentrates replaced with beet pulp seem to maintain better body condition. It has been used to replace over 50% of the forage in horse's rations without adverse effects when fed with other balanced concentrates.
Be aware however that it has no Vitamin A and that if it is used to replace most of the forage in a ration, Vitamin A may need to be supplemented. Contrary to popular belief, beet pulp itself is not high in sugar. However some beet pulp products DO have added molasses to increase palatability, so owners with carbohydrate intolerant horses need to read the labels carefully. The improved palatability increases the rate of eating, which theoretically could raise the chance of choke. An enduring concern about beet pulp is that if you feed it to a horse dry, it will swell up after it is eaten and cause choke or colic. While some horses have choked after being fed shredded beet pulp, a fairly large university study did not document this problem. A horse can choke on any feed, given the right circumstances. For instance, if the horse is a greedy eater who bolts its food, has poor teeth, esophageal and/or swallowing problems, or lacks sufficient water to drink, he/she may be at increased risk. You can reduce the risk of a horse choking on any sort of feed--especially pelleted or cubed products--by soaking them in water prior to feeding. This is also a good way to encourage increased water intake, especially in the winter. Pelleted, extruded or shredded beet pulp product need to be soaked for old horses and/or those with severe dental problems.
 
#22 ·
Sweetie, did you read the info you quoted? I only ask because it, in large part, actually contradicts the point you were trying to make. Beet pulp is as safe fed dry as any other feed - and presents equal risk of choke and/or colic. As for the soaking time, when one does choose to soak, it does not take 12 hours - in fact, soaking for that long increases the risk of spoilage/fermentation which would be dangerous to the horse. Most who soak do so for a couple of hours or so -- about the time it takes for the pulp to double it's volume.
 
#24 ·
I would never feed my beet pulp dry... whether you think your horse is a slow and cautious eater or not. They still have the chance of choking on it since it expands when wet so why not go ahead and soak it? The whole purpose of beet pulp for most people are so it is a soft feed that horses have an easier time eating and to help horses gain or maintain weight (for most that is their older horses.)
 
#27 ·
We just recently added beet pulp to our "feeding program." I had never heard of it before joining this forum. Daughter's mare is a very hard keeper. On top of that, she has a 14 month old colt that is still nursing because son-in-law thinks its cute and won't let us wean (or geld) the colt. :evil: We also feed alfalfa pellets. Because the mare is in such poor condition, and needs her teeth floated (will be done soon), we have been soaking the beet pulp and alfalfa pellets prior to feeding. The mare is also prone to colic, and it seems like soaking the feed is helping to prevent the colic. I haven't weaned daughter away from thinking sweet feed is necessary, but we have reduced the amount that is being fed. The difference in the mare, after only a couple of weeks is amazing! We are also feeding the same general mix to our other horses, in somewhat lesser amounts. They seem to love the stuff, and don't mind that there's not much sweet feed.
 
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